I don’t take many guest speaking engagements anymore simply because I am focused on the Church which I Pastor. This has been the case now for many years but is especially true in this season of building a brand new congregation in the heart of Cubao, Metro Manila, Philippines. If I do take one, it is because I sense that it is A Priority Assignment from the Lord.
I took one recently at a small “Barangay (formal neighborhood)” Church in a suburb of Manila. I took it because the service was set for 8-10am and our service at the Gateway Mall Cinema 2 starts at 11am.
The Church was wonderful. The Husband and Wife Pastors and their children were obviously doing a great job in building this work. The people were engaged, the workers were well trained and I could tell that the Word was held in high regard and that the people were not only hearers of the Word, but doer’s of the Word as the Bible teaches us should be the case.
After I delivered the Word, the keyboard played (the Keyboardist was a teenage Daughter of the Pastors) and we went into free worship for awhile as the prophetic flow began to stir. 90% of the crowd came to the altar when it was opened but it was slow going at first, as is sometimes the case. But things began to heat up and people were incredibly touched. Many were weeping, lost in adoration of God, deep in intercession, some even laughing with tears of Joy and dozens (probably close to 100) experiencing something that we call in Charismatic/Pentecostal circles, being “slain in the Spirit.” This means that while being prayed for (or sometimes without any touch or personal prayer), they fall down in a supernatural way and lay on the floor either lifeless (like they are dead which is why the term “slain” is used) or maybe while speaking in an unknown tongue or praying intently. Sometimes even just resting.
When I say “supernaturally fell,” this is where some debate comes in. Many people feel that this happens primarily in congregations where there is conditioning towards it and therefore it is more of an emotional or trained behavior. Certainly, I have seen this and I am of the thought that this is quite wide spread. There are probably those who “get slain” every week. I have ministered in Churches where everyone was slain and they only fell after the trained ushers touched them on their elbow as a signal that “it’s ok to fall now because I’m gonna catch you.” And I would agree that there is nothing or at least little supernatural about that and I would not be of the thought that it is a healthy practice simply because it takes away from the genuine experience. Personally, when I find myself in the midst of such a group ministering, I usually encourage the person I am praying for to “stay standing if you can.” Sometimes to the chagrin of the catcher who seems to think the goal of ministry is to fall down. And we haven’t even addressed the “pushers,” the ministers who push people over because they feel they are being evaluated by how many people go down.
On the other hand, there are places in which people are open to being slain in the spirit but they absolutely will not fall down like they are dead unless it is really something that the power of God is causing. Even when this is the case, there are times when the force of God’s power at work is stronger or milder depending on… well, I don’t know why. That’s just the way it is. It then becomes the choice of the person receiving prayer as to whether or not they will “fall.” And the choice usually becomes a matter of whether or not you take a step back to stabilize yourself and stay standing when the force comes upon you. And usually, you can put one foot back and stay standing. Either way is fine with me. Personally, I take the step back and I can count the number of times I have been slain because I only “go down” when it is strong enough that I cannot fight it. But that’s just me. It keeps the whole experience completely genuine for me. But even when I stay standing, I sense God’s power and I receive ministry. Indeed, I have noticed that many times people stop receiving once they go down and it would have been better for them to stay standing. For my readers from other traditions in which you don’t see this kind of thing, I hope you are enjoying this discussion at some level J Just be careful not to judge what you don’t understand. There are scriptures about that too…
Back to my recent Priority Assignment. This was definitely a Church in which people don’t just drop like flies. After an hour of “altar ministry,” I sensed that at least one main assignment had not yet been accomplished. I looked at the Wife Pastor who pointed me to the Husband Pastor. There was a problem in that he was not positioned as if he wanted prayer. He was looking at the congregation, giving his obvious approval but not looking like he wanted to receive anything personally. I went to him and sheepishly asked him if he wanted prayer. He sheepishly looked at me and said yes, probably because he didn’t want to be rude. As I began, I was painfully aware that he was highly conscious of the eyes of his members. I told him, “ Just lift your hands to the Lord and imagine yourself as a sail catching the wind of God.” I was just as surprised at my words as he was… (that’s a teaching for another time) I then said, “In the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, receive the wind of God.” In that instant, he filled up like a sail. I don’t know how to describe it. The unseen but felt wind came from the front and arched his back and body to where he was sort of bowing forward. It then picked him up and blew him back to where he settled to the ground and a couple of guys caught him. (think something like a Kung Fu movie where the characters are able to float or stay suspended in the air for short bursts of time – um… if you watch movies)
The congregation and especially the Wife Pastor gasped. It was obvious that this was not the norm, especially for the Husband Pastor to be slain and definitely not like this. I don’t know what God did for that Pastor in that instant or even for the Church to have seen if for that matter, but I do know that I had the sense from the Holy Spirit saying, “mission accomplished.” I had to literally leave at that moment in order to make our 11am service.
I have heard testimonies from that service and it was a big mile marker for that Church… one of those services where huge strides are made. Allow me to talk with you Pastors and long time Church leaders for a minute. Couldn’t you relate just now to the Pastor giving his approval to the moving of the Holy Spirit but yet not really engaging? I know that I could. That is me so very often as well! Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Ushers, Worship Team, Ministry Directors, Life Group Leaders… It’s so easy for us to not press in for our own touch for a variety of reasons. Maybe like my Brother recently, it is being the known leader and feeling all those eyes on you.
I believe that God is targeting you and I even right now as I write and as you read. Let us soften our hearts, open our spirits and receive all that God has for us. Let us become his Priority Assignment for the ministry of His Holy Spirit even in a public setting. Let us humble ourselves before man, therefore humbling ourselves before the mighty hand of God so that we will be lifted up in due season once more!
